http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/my-media-blog.html My media blog From What is this Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:58:08 GMT en-us http://www.what-is-this.com/images/blogs/my-media-blog-677210.jpg http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/my-media-blog.html 100 75 http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/7-2008/founders-at-work.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/7-2008/founders-at-work.html Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:58:08 GMT My last flight over the Pacific gave me ample time to read through Jessica Livingstons collection of ......... ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/6-2008/why-do-people-vote.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/6-2008/why-do-people-vote.html Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:20:27 GMT A groundbreaking new study finds that genes significantly affect variation in voter turnout, shedding new light on the reasons why people vote and participate in the political system. This research, which was conducted by political researchers James H. Fowler, Christopher T. Dawes (of UC San Diego) and psychology expert Laura A. Baker (of University of Southern California), appears in the recent issue of the American Political Science Review, a journal of the American Political Science Association (APSA). The article is available online at: www.apsanet.org/imgtest/APSRMay08Fowler_etal.pdf........ ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/6-2008/absinthe-lollipops.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/6-2008/absinthe-lollipops.html Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:20:27 GMT The US Government recently approved the sale of absinthe within certain guidelines, namely that there is less than 10ppm of thujone. Absinthe Lollipops contain an amount of thujone that is within the legal limits set by the US regulatory authorities and of the European Union.

Our Absinthe Lollipops are really freaking awesome. And we say that without even an ounce of hubris. People go crazy (not like, cut-your-ear-off crazy, tho) for them. We''re pretty sure they''re the ultimate party favor. The combination of absinthe''s mystique and the inherent sexiness of lollipops is a pretty ......... ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/5-2008/sinatra.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/5-2008/sinatra.html Mon, 19 May 2008 00:09:24 GMT "Comes a report that Martin Scorsese might be doing a film about Frank Sinatra - and not a documentary but an honest-to-God biopic," notes Shawn Levy. "I''ve written a book about Sinatra, so I know that there''s more than a ton of material there for a ......... ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/5-2008/garcias-first-win-in-3-years.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/5-2008/garcias-first-win-in-3-years.html Sun, 18 May 2008 23:56:17 GMT Courtesy: ......... ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/5-2008/cannes-four-nights-with-anna.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/5-2008/cannes-four-nights-with-anna.html Sat, 17 May 2008 02:20:09 GMT Four Nights with Anna is "the first film in 17 years from the great Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski, who mostly has spent his time recently acting (he was Naomi Watts''s racist Russian uncle in Eastern Promises)," writes Ty ......... ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/5-2008/sunday-sighs.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/5-2008/sunday-sighs.html Sat, 17 May 2008 02:11:30 GMT Sunday already? Seems like this happens every week! With luck we’re down at Roundrock today, watching spring emerge and maybe grilling some meat over a fire. The redbuds and dogwoods are mostly finished with their bloom up in Kansas City. I’m pretty sure that means Libby won’t get to see the redbuds at Roundrock. And since we don’t have dogwoods there, she won’t get to see those ......... ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/5-2008/high-gas-prices-taking-it-in-the-shorts.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/5-2008/high-gas-prices-taking-it-in-the-shorts.html Fri, 09 May 2008 02:11:54 GMT © Stoker ......... ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/5-2008/shorts-fests-books-etc.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/5-2008/shorts-fests-books-etc.html Fri, 09 May 2008 01:49:04 GMT "The premise of Jesus, the Spirit of God is that Jesus was compassionate and performed miracles, but was not crucified or resurrected from the dead. The message implies that Christianity, a faith of 2 billion people and the core of much Western philosophy, is based on a falsehood." Jeffrey Fleishman talks with Iranian director Nader Talebzadeh, whose "new film is based on the Islamic version of the life of Jesus, depicting the man Christians believe to be the messiah and son of God as a tormented Judean prophet foretelling the coming of Muhammad, the founder of the Muslim ......... ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/decision-making-is-it-all-me-me-me.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/decision-making-is-it-all-me-me-me.html Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:53:43 GMT People act in their own best interests, as per traditional views of how and why we make the decisions that we do. However, psychology experts at the Universities of Leicester and Exeter have recently found evidence that this assumption is not necessarily true. In fact the research, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, shows that most of us will act in the best interest of our team often at our own expense........ ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/siemens-shenanigans-roll-on.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/siemens-shenanigans-roll-on.html Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:53:43 GMT The Siemens saga rolls on and if Siemens management thought things would settle down, they need to have a long think. This case is getting messier and messier by the day.

First, the company's former chief executive Heinrich von Pierer has been forced to come out and deny reports that he arranged bribes after he had been fingered by witnesses. Still, that hasn't stopped him being interviewed by prosecutors. Significantly, the prosecutors are refusing to say whether he is under investigation.

Meanwhile, the allegations continue with claims in court that the company had ......... ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/beautiful-tropical-beach.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/beautiful-tropical-beach.html Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:33:21 GMT While it is Spring in the U.S., here in the Philippines is summer time. Meaning, time to hit the beach. Beach. We have too many of those here, in practically all the islands. However, most of them have become too commercialized over the years. ......... ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/religious-services-predictive-of-fidelity.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/religious-services-predictive-of-fidelity.html Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:15:46 GMT A new study reported in the Journal of Marriage and Family reveals that attendance at religious services predicts marital fidelity. Led by David C. Atkins and Deborah E. Kessel of the Fuller Theological Seminary, the study explores how various dimensions of religious life, including prayer, closeness to God, faith, and religious activities correlation to infidelity........ ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/misery-not-miserly.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/misery-not-miserly.html Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:15:46 GMT Off to buy a new handbag and fabulous red shoes, or how about overalls and a riding lawnmower? Before going, a mood check for signs of despair and gloom might be in order because how a person feels can impact routine economic transactions, whether he or she is aware of it or not. So says a team of behavioral researchers from four major U.S. universities, whose research study finds that sadness impacts spending. Specifically, people who feel sad and self-focused pay more money for goods than those in neutral states, even when purchasing the same item........ ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/not-yet-worn.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/not-yet-worn.html Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:15:46 GMT It seems I''ve always known of zines, but for some reason I''ve never even set eyes on one before. I should be the target customer for a zine, right? I mean, I love reading everything from poems to short stories to philosophical articles, I take delight in beautiful artwork, I don''t have a lot of money to drop, and I find the idea of making one''s own mini magazine to be empowering.

I''d say it''s about time for me to get in on the zine scene.

Ack, sorry for the rhyme. I couldn''t resist.

I have a particular zine in mind:

enticed me first with its scintillating ......... ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/get-real-by-talking-about-the-competition.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/get-real-by-talking-about-the-competition.html Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:59:50 GMT Innovators trying to establish new markets would be wise to try to attract attention by publicizing not only themselves, but also the competition, as per a new sociological study by a faculty member at the University of Southern Californias (USC) Marshall School of Business. Mark Thomas Kennedy, assistant professor of Management and Organizations at USC, used breakthrough research methods to reduce tens of thousands of pages of media coverage into mental maps of technology market competitors........ ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/brits-refuse-to-give-up-their-holidays.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/brits-refuse-to-give-up-their-holidays.html Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:59:50 GMT © ......... ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/wine-varietals-viognier.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/wine-varietals-viognier.html Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:42:07 GMT Viognier, pronounced Vee-on-Yay, is a lesser known white wine grape, originally cultivated in France's Rhone Valley (likely imported there by the ancient Greeks or Romans). Almost extinct by the 1960s, this difficult-to-grow, but delightful-to-drink wine has made a resurgeance in France and lately in California, Australia, and South Africa.

Viognier is the main grape in the French appellation, Condrieu. It is also found in France and abroad labeled simply as Viognier. It is characterized by a deep, yellow color; a high alcohol content; and pronounced peach, apricot, and mango ......... ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/traders-who-sell-short-stocks-are-well-informed.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/traders-who-sell-short-stocks-are-well-informed.html Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:16:02 GMT The term "short selling" refers to the practice of selling shares the seller does not own, in the hope of repurchasing them later at a lower price. A new study in The Journal of Finance reveals that there is a large occurrence of shorting activity and that short sellers are highly informed about the relative value of stocks........ ]]> http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/proximity-to-a-flood-zone-lowers-property-values.html http://www.what-is-this.com/blogs/permalinks/4-2008/proximity-to-a-flood-zone-lowers-property-values.html Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:16:02 GMT A study appearing in the March 2008 issue of The Journal of Risk and Insurance reveals that proximity to a flood zone lowers property values. By law, a property is considered in a "flood zone" if any part of the structure falls within a floodplain, an area that is adjacent to a stream or river that experiences periodic flooding. It has been acknowledged that the level of risk linked to a property may be linked to natural hazards........ ]]>